diff --git a/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.test.tsx b/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.test.tsx
index 1e4ba776..50a08c1f 100644
--- a/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.test.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ function getMediaViewport(element: HTMLElement): HTMLElement {
   return parent;
 }
 
+function getBackdropContainer(): HTMLElement {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line testing-library/no-node-access -- the layout container is the lightbox's backdrop hit target
+  const container = screen.getByRole('dialog').firstElementChild;
+  if (!(container instanceof HTMLElement)) {
+    throw new Error('Expected the lightbox dialog to have a layout container.');
+  }
+  return container;
+}
+
 beforeAll(() => {
   Object.defineProperty(HTMLDialogElement.prototype, 'showModal', {
     configurable: true,
@@ -124,7 +133,9 @@ describe('Lightbox', () => {
     const onOpenChange = vi.fn();
     render(<Lightbox isOpen media={media[0]} onOpenChange={onOpenChange} />);
 
-    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('dialog', {name: 'Media lightbox'}));
+    const backdropContainer = getBackdropContainer();
+    fireEvent.pointerDown(backdropContainer);
+    fireEvent.click(backdropContainer, {detail: 1});
     expect(onOpenChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
 
     const cancelEvent = new Event('cancel', {cancelable: true});
@@ -136,6 +147,25 @@ describe('Lightbox', () => {
     expect(onOpenChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
   });
 
+  it('does not close when a pan drag ends on the backdrop', () => {
+    const onOpenChange = vi.fn();
+    render(
+      <Lightbox hasZoom isOpen media={media[0]} onOpenChange={onOpenChange} />,
+    );
+
+    const viewport = getMediaViewport(
+      screen.getByRole('img', {name: 'First image'}),
+    );
+    const backdropContainer = getBackdropContainer();
+    fireEvent.doubleClick(viewport);
+    fireEvent.pointerDown(viewport, {clientX: 100, clientY: 100});
+    fireEvent.pointerMove(window, {clientX: 125, clientY: 125});
+    fireEvent.pointerUp(backdropContainer, {clientX: 150, clientY: 150});
+    fireEvent.click(backdropContainer, {clientX: 150, clientY: 150, detail: 1});
+
+    expect(onOpenChange).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('navigates galleries with arrow keys and buttons while respecting bounds', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     const onIndexChange = vi.fn();
diff --git a/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.tsx b/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.tsx
index 9e94f2c8..9288a20f 100644
--- a/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Lightbox/Lightbox.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import {
   useRef,
   useState,
   type CSSProperties,
-  type MouseEvent as ReactMouseEvent,
   type ReactNode,
   type Ref,
 } from 'react';
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ import {LayerContext} from 'internal/LayerContext';
 import {LogicalChevronEnd, LogicalChevronStart} from 'internal/LogicalChevron';
 import isNonEmptyReactNode from 'internal/isNonEmptyReactNode';
 import {mergeRefs} from 'internal/mergeRefs';
+import {useBackdropDismiss} from 'internal/useBackdropDismiss';
 import {useEscapeDismiss} from 'internal/useEscapeDismiss';
 import {useIsomorphicLayoutEffect} from 'internal/useIsomorphicLayoutEffect';
 import {useScrollLock} from 'internal/useScrollLock';
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ export function Lightbox({
   style,
 }: LightboxProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const dialogRef = useRef<HTMLDialogElement>(null);
+  const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const triggerRef = useRef<Element | null>(null);
   const [uncontrolledIndex, setUncontrolledIndex] = useState(defaultIndex);
   const [zoom, setZoom] = useState(1);
@@ -240,6 +241,11 @@ export function Lightbox({
   const close = useCallback(() => {
     onOpenChange(false);
   }, [onOpenChange]);
+  const backdropDismiss = useBackdropDismiss<HTMLDialogElement>({
+    isBackdropEvent: event => event.target === containerRef.current,
+    isEnabled: isOpen,
+    onDismiss: close,
+  });
   const escapeDismiss = useEscapeDismiss({
     getElement: () => dialogRef.current,
     isEnabled: isOpen,
@@ -266,11 +272,7 @@ export function Lightbox({
         event.preventDefault();
         close();
       }}
-      onClick={(event: ReactMouseEvent<HTMLDialogElement>) => {
-        if (event.target === event.currentTarget) {
-          close();
-        }
-      }}
+      onClick={backdropDismiss.onClick}
       onKeyDown={event => {
         if (event.key === 'ArrowLeft') {
           event.preventDefault();
@@ -280,10 +282,11 @@ export function Lightbox({
           goNext();
         }
       }}
+      onPointerDown={backdropDismiss.onPointerDown}
       ref={mergeRefs(ref, dialogRef)}
       style={style}>
       <LayerContext value={layerContextValue}>
-        <div className={classes.container}>
+        <div className={classes.container} ref={containerRef}>
           <div className={classes.close}>
             <Button
               className={classes.controlButton}
diff --git a/src/internal/useBackdropDismiss.ts b/src/internal/useBackdropDismiss.ts
index ececdb18..e4029a6e 100644
--- a/src/internal/useBackdropDismiss.ts
+++ b/src/internal/useBackdropDismiss.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function isPointerOutsideElement(
  * box, can have the same outside coordinates but retain the child as their
  * target while bubbling through the dialog.
  */
-function isBackdropPointerEvent<T extends HTMLElement>(
+function isNativeBackdropPointerEvent<T extends HTMLElement>(
   event: MouseEvent<T> | PointerEvent<T>,
 ): boolean {
   return (
@@ -49,9 +49,15 @@ export interface BackdropDismissHandlers<T extends HTMLElement> {
  * (e.g. text selection that overshoots onto the backdrop) are ignored.
  */
 export function useBackdropDismiss<T extends HTMLElement>({
+  isBackdropEvent = isNativeBackdropPointerEvent,
   isEnabled,
   onDismiss,
 }: {
+  /**
+   * Identifies events that land on the visual backdrop. By default, native
+   * dialog backdrop events are detected from the dialog's border-box geometry.
+   */
+  isBackdropEvent?: (event: MouseEvent<T> | PointerEvent<T>) => boolean;
   isEnabled: boolean;
   onDismiss: () => void;
 }): BackdropDismissHandlers<T> {
@@ -67,13 +73,13 @@ export function useBackdropDismiss<T extends HTMLElement>({
       if (event.detail === 0) {
         return;
       }
-      const releasedOnBackdrop = isBackdropPointerEvent(event);
+      const releasedOnBackdrop = isBackdropEvent(event);
       if (startedOnBackdrop && releasedOnBackdrop && isEnabled) {
         onDismiss();
       }
     },
     onPointerDown: event => {
-      pointerDownOnBackdropRef.current = isBackdropPointerEvent(event);
+      pointerDownOnBackdropRef.current = isBackdropEvent(event);
     },
   };
 }